WW1 Stokes Mortar Round

[GLCC74]

This is Mk 1 HE shell with the Mk 4 fuse. The Stokes Mortar was an well designed weapon that was easy to use and produce. It was transportable and could keep up with advancing troops, however the military mindset was to hold ground and captured ground, so the Stokes was not produced in great quantities in favor of larger caliber devices. When the US entered the war in 1917, they did not want to get bogged down in static warfare but wanted open ground warfare, so they adopted the British Stokes mortar and called it the 3-inch trench mortar, Mark I. The US purchased 914 of the British made mortars and made 843 in the US that were used in France before the war ended. 

 

 

[Linedoggie]

there are literally thousands of theses littering the training areas of Manitou mountain at Camp Smith NY. and I spent a night at Michie Stadium at USMA with my QRF squad guarding it till EOD came in the morning as they found them while redoing the stadium in 02. Some had the fuze some had a shipping plug

[GLCC74]

Wow, interesting story. I have never came across any of these like that, I have come across WW2 era items in Europe. 

[917601]

Finest Stokes I have ever seen.Thanks for posting.